Motor vehicle



G. H. CURTISS Ncv.17,1936.

-MoTQR VEHICLE original Filed July 9, 1929 fllllu Ressued Nov.'y 17, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT ori-ice Original No. 1,948,744, dated February 21, 1934, t Serial No. 316,985, July 9, 1929. Application for reissue January 31, 19M/Serial No. 61,822 y l 3s claims. (ci iso-"11) Country C'iub assignee.

This invention relates to motor vehicles, and more particularly to a coupling or suspension means for the bodies thereof whereby vibration is greatly reduced.

prevent the transmission of vibrations, and per- A mit relative transverse oscillating or teetering movement. and at the same time will torni a directionally stable connection between the two units. whereby the power unitmay be conn-oiled 'ing frame 3. As clearly shown in Pig. 2,- this 5 As ordinarily constructed, the motor and the from the body imit. Y 5 body of a passenger automobile are mounted on The invention further con the same rigid frame or chassis. and with such the provision of atransverseboardsecured to the an. arrangement the passengers are subjected to body unit, and rigid arms projecting forwardly all of the shocks and vibration incident to the opfrom such board and connected through resilient eration of the power plant, as well as to road coupling means with said power plant, whereby 10 l shocks. slight relative movement between said body unit An object of the present invention is to rovide and power plant is permitted. a construction which shall eifectually prevent In, order that the invention may be clearly unsuch transmission of shocks and vibration from dei-stood, reference is had to the accompanying l5 the powerplant to that part of the vehicle occudrawing, forming part of this specication, and 15 pied by passengers, so that while the. vehicle may illustrating the invention more or less convenbe controlled and steered from the passenger tionally, in which drawing: compartment inY the usual way. the occupants Figure l is a side elevation showing in dotted will. be conveyed as smoothly as though rolling lines the outline of a motor vehicle, and in full along without any propelling power. lines the improved means'for coupling the power 20 Another object is to lessen-the eil'ect on -the unit and the body unit; automobile body o! shocks due to irregularities of Figure 2 is a plan view thereof; the road, by providing special means for absorbing Figures 3 and 4 are fragmentary views corre-l such shocks'. spending respectively to Figuresk 2 and 1. and To this end, it is proposed to construct the showings. slightly modified arrangement of cou- 25 body and the propelling and steering mechanism pling means: as two separate units, and to connect these units Figure 5' is a vertical transverse-section on an wholly by yieldable coupling members or cushenlarged scale, through one of the improved cou.

' ions, preferably of annular form, so that neither pling members, embodying a pneumatic tube; and n road shocks nor the vibrations set up in the power Figure 6 is a similar view of a coupling embody- 30 unit will be transmitted to the body unit. Itis ing a solid annulus of rubber or Asimilar elastic further proposed to connect the power plant to material. the steering wheels in such manner that the reac- Referring to the drawing in detail, and more tion vibrations set up by the motor willvbe transparticularly to'Figures 1. 2 and 5, the front truck mitted directly to such wheels. or power unit of the vehicle is indicated in its en- 35 The herein described construction serves to furtirety at A and the body unit is shown in dotted ther reduce road shocks because it provides a lines at B.- t t' yielding truss between the front and rear ends of The power unit comprises a pair of front supthe vehicle. One reason that this yieldabillty is porting and driving wheels l moimted at the ends 40 permissible in the vehicle of the present invenof a suitable axle 2. A U-shaped motor support- 40 tion is due to the fact that the motoria located ing frame I constituting part ofl the power unit, at that end of the vehicle-where the power is aphas secured to the ends thereof, as by means of plied to the wheels. On the other hand the yieldbolts I, pairs of quarter elliptic springs 4, the free able feature might not be so desirable in a struc` ends ofwhich are secured to the axle in any ture where the engine is'at one'end of the body suitable way.` y 45 and the driven wheels are at the opposite end The motor itself, which Amay be of any'suitbecause the transmlssionvmechanism and the proable type. is shown in dotted lines at l as suitably peller shaft might be unduly strained by relative supported by the frame 3. and may be arranged movement between the engine and the wheels. to transmit power to a differential l, from which Specifically, vit is proposed to mount the power extend the usual live axles to the wheels i. It will 5 plant wholly upon the two front wheels of the be understood, however, that the details of arvehicle, and to support one end of the body on rangement of the motor and transmission and this two wheeled power unit by coupling devices driving mechanism form no part of the present of the above character arranged so that they will invention, except so far as concerns the supportu 5o frame comprises a substantially transverse end portion and a pair of spaced side portions which embrace the mot'.

Secured to the end of each side portion of the frame I, either by bolts or by being formed integral therewith. is an-upwardly and forwardly extending member l. carrying at its free end a circular rim element l, having an internal concave seat` `9*. as clearly shown in Figure 5. Enclosed within this rim element i is a pneumatic cushion'v member. shown in Figure 5 as inthe nature of an ordinary tire shoe' or casing I0 having enclosed therein an inner tube II provided with an inilation valve I2. f

Fitted in the center of this annular pneumatic cushioning device is a hub or socket element i3, having an axial bore. In this bore or socket is received a stud or pin il,'carried at the meet-v ing ends of a bifurcated frame member IS.' The bars or legs of this framemember diverge rearwardly and are secured at ktheir ends to vertically spaced, widely separated points of a transverse, substantially vertical. relatively deep plate. board or frame i6 carried by and forming a part of the body unit, and extending a substantial distance above the bottom of the body. thus providlng at each side oi' the vehicle a triangulatedl framework constituting a forwardly tapering rigid cantilever or supporting arm. These two arms converge forwardly. and not only do they. when taken together, constitute a generally pyramidal arrangement, but also each arm, in combination with the members I and l, and stud I1, forms a pyramidal structure. It will be observed that the annular cushioning .devices Il and rims l, above described, are disposed in `a vertical plane, and are shown asl lying at an angle to the axis of the vehicle. This is merely for convenience, in making the connections shown. Other arrangements and dispositions o'f these coupling devices can readily be employed without departing from the spirito! the invention.

` Extending rearwardly from the end portion of the frame I isa trunnion or stud l'i. This fits in the socket member ilof a thirdannular cushioning member il. siich member being carried by the rim elements or lugs il secured to the plate Vor frame li, it being understood, of course. that the plate' it is cut away where the stud i1 passes through it, so as-to permit free relative movement g of said stud and plate.

From the foregoing. it will be seen that there is provided what may be called a three-point connection between the power unit and the body unit. this connection comprising three spaced yielding coupling members arranged in triangular relation. It will be noted that at each one of these three points. an annular cushioning member is interposed between an element carried by the, power unit and a cooperating element carried y by the body unit, and that these yieldable cou# plings or cushioning members constitute the sole connection between the power unit and the body unit. It will thus be obviousthat vibrations set upinthe powerunitareabsorbedby thecush' ioning devices, and are therefore not transmitted ,fnthebodyllnit 'It will further be noted that the motor supporting frame l. which forms `port of the power plant. is resilientlv connected at its iront ends to the axle 2,by'springs ..and is itself thus .partially supported bythe vehicle wheels l. It is l movably or pivizntallyv supported at its rear end .on

the board II by means of thestud i'i. the vibra*- tien-absorbing cushion u being interposed betweensuch board and frame. Since thelpower plant is connected at each side directly with the front axle. it follows that the reaction vibrations of the motor are transmitted to and sustained forward ends -of the arms Ii. which are carried wholly by and project from the board it. and

which also serve to partially support the power It will also be seen that the coupling members e `described provide a readily detachable connection between the two units. All that is necessary is to remove or disengage the studs i4 from the sockets of .the respective coupling devices i0. when the two units may be immediately separated by moving one longitudinally o! the other, thus disengaging the stud i1 also.

It will be further apparent that by means of these yielding coupling devices, not only is tractive eil'ort transmitted from the power unit to the body unit, but the latter is supported on the former. in a directionally stable manner.

In fact. each unit, which is itself unstably mounted on two or more road wheels, serves to support the other, and while the yielding couplings above described provide a directionally stable connection between the units. they permit relative transverse or teetering movement. so that shocks due toirregularities of the road are not transmitted to the body.

'rmsshcck absorbing characteristic is doc in part to the mass or inertia of the motor and asso- -ciated parts. This mass, which acts as a shock -vices constitute tertiary shock absorbing means.

and these,- it will be seen, are disposed between the power' unit and the body unit, and are in addition to the springs and tires and provide a cushioning eil'ect of the same order of magnitude. Thus. before reaching the body, road shocks must pass in series through the tires. springs, mass of the motor, and the yielding coupling devices. this fact greatly increasing the smooth riding qualities of the improved vehicle. It may be pointed out that' while the' above has reference to wheel shocks in transverse planes, the tertiary cushioning devices are equally eil'ective Vin absorbing shocksm a longitudinal plane. This is due to the fact that the annular cushioning devices are in the nature of universal joints. permitting limited relative'movement in any direction whatsoever.

It will be observed that. in the above described arrangement. two of the cushioningdevices lie in substantially the same vertical transverse plane as the axle of the power unit. 'Ihese yield sutilciently to permit transverse teetering in the same A'manner as'do the wheel tires and springs. The

arranged at the frontoi' the body unit. and that the power unit can be controlled from this seat by any suitable means (not shown).

In Figures 3 and 4, there is shown a slightly modiiled method oi' providing the above mentioned three-point connection, between the power unit and the body unit. In these figures, there is ill trated a blfurcated member 2l secured'to the motor supporting frame 23 of the power unit,

and carrying at its `forward end a rim element 29. Instead oi' the two'k bifurcated frames Il, shown in Figure l, there is employed in the present modification a single bifurcated or triangular frame 25, the apex of which passes through the socket member corresponding to the rim element 29, the ends of the frame 25 being secured to the plate or frame i6.

Instead of a single stud I| as in Figure vl, there-v is employed in Figures 3 and 4 a pair of such studs, spaced widely apart horizontally and car-y riedlat the ends of arms 2l and 22, extending from the frame 2l, and constituting therewith a transverse member parallel with the plate or dash Il. Rim elements or lugs II are provided adjacent each stud I1, as before, and cushions Il are interposed between each stud and the respective rim elements. Thusthe transverse plate or board Il and the transverse motor supporting frame 2|, 22, 2l are connected at a plurality o! points, with vibration-absorbing cushion means interposed between them, at each point. And'the i'act that the connection points are widely separated, as described, lends transverse stability to the structure.

It is clear that with this arrangement, there is likewise formed a three-point connection, two of g the points being at 'the rear and one in front,.

this arrangement being the reverse of that shown in Figure 2, in which two points of connection are disposed at the front and a single point at the rear. Other modifications will no doubt suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

In this arrangement of Figures 3 and 4, it will be observed that two o! the yielding coupling devices lie as before substantially inthe same transverse vertical plane, and the third is disposed in the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the vehicle. thus giving rise to the same advantages as previously described.

Furthermore, with either arrangement of theel point suspension, shock movementoccurring at any one point serves to oscillate the power unit about the other two, relative to the body unit.-

Finally, in both modifications, it will be noted that some, at least. of the yielding couplings or cushioning devices are located well above the motor and front axle, thus giving increased stability.

Instead of employing a pneumatic cushioning device, as shown in Figure 5, one may use the cushioning device illustrated in Figure 6, in which, instead of the pneumatic tube i0, there is shown a solid anniilus Il', of rubber, or similar elastic material, having a socket member Il' fixed therein.

While there, is illustrated and describedgsi-` tain more or less speciiic constructions, it-

understood that these have been shown only for the purpose o! illustrating the principle of the invention, namely. the provision oi' separable body and power units and the complete insulation of the power unit from the body unit, so far as any rigid connection is concerned. Many other embodiments may obviously be made, with-v yunit perse,

out departing from the spirit ofthe invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

i. In a motor vehicle, a bocLv unit and a two-` wheeled power unit having an axle, and a plurality oi.' spaced yieldable coupling members constituting the sole connection between said units, all o! said members lying above said axle, and some being disposed inthe same transverse plane.

2. In a motor vehicle, a body unit and a twowheeled power unit, a three-point connection between said units, and a cushion interposed between the respective elements at each connection point,`and yieldablein all directions.

3. In a motor vehicle, a body unit and a power unit, each having two wheels, and means i'or connecting said units so that they support each other, said connecting means comprising a rim element carried by one unit, a hub or socket element carried bythe other unit, and an annular cushioning member interposed between said elements and disposed in a vertical plane.

4. A passenger automobile comprising separable body and power units, each unstably supported on wheels, vehicle springs and wheel tires constituting primary and secondary shock absorbing means in connection with said power unit, and tertiary shock absorbing means oi' the same order as said tires and springs interposed between said power unit and'body unit and constituting the sole means for connecting the one with the other.

5'. An' automobile comprising a body unit, a power unit unstablyroad mounted on wheels and deriving its stability through connection to the body unit, said power unit comprising a motor and springs by which said motor is supported on said wheels, and a shock absorbing stabilizing and tractive connection, exclusive of said springs between the body unit and power unit through which the power unit partakes of movement independently of and prior to the body unit, as such movement is induced by road shocks.

6. A passenger automobile comprising a body unit and a power unit, which latter includes a motor and springs on which said motor is supported, said powerl unit being unstably road mounted on wheels and deriving its stability through connection with the body, and shock absorbing stabilizing and traction connecting means between the power unit and the body-unit independent of said springs and having the shock absorbing qualities of a pneumatic automobile tire.

7. An automobile comprising body and power units independently road supported, said power unit being unstably supported and comprising a motor, wheel tires and axle suspension springs, said tires and springs shock absorbing the power and a tertiaryshock absorbing connection exclusive o! said springs and of an order of magnitude approaching the tires and the springs interposed between the power unit and the body unit, whereby such shocks as pass the tires and the springs are damped in large part by the inertia of the motor and are absorbed altogether in said tertiary means.

8. A passenger automobile comprising a body unit and a power unit independently and unstably road supported, and shock absorbing and stabilizing couplings constituting the soie connection between the power unit and the -body unit vaffording longitudinal directional stabilitybetween the units but substantially freely. permitfor supporting said ting limited relative transverse movement tween the units.

body unit and a power 9. In a motor vehicle,l a unit independently and unstably road supported, said power unit comprising a motor. an axle carrying driving wheels, and springs supporting said motor on said axle. and a plurality of yieldable coupling means, independent of said springs, for transmitting tractive eifort from said power unit to said body unit. and for supporting thelatter on the former, said means constituting the sole connection between said units.

10. In a motor vehicle, a body unit and a two wheeled power unit having an axle, a motonand springs by which the motor is suspended from said axle, and means independent of said springs for connecting said units, said connecting means comprising a plurality of spaced, yieldable coupling members.

l1. In a motor vehicle, a body unit and .la two wheeled power unit having an axle, a motor. and springs by which the motor is suspended from' said axle, and means independent of` said springs for supporting said body unit on said power unit and comprising a plurality of spaced, yieldable coupling members.

l2. In a motor vehicle. a body unit and a two wheeled power unit having an axle, a motor, and springs by which the motor is suspended from said axle, and means independent of said springs body unit on said power .unit and comprising a plurality of spaced, yieldable coupling members, said coupling members constituting the sole connection between said units.

13. An automobile comprising body and power units, independently road supported, said power unit being unstably supported and comprising wheels and axle and a motor spring-suspended from said axle, and relativelylarge shock-absorbing stabilizing connections, independent of such spring suspension, interposed between the power unit and thebodyunit. A

14. A motor vehicle comprising a rear body unit having a transverse member at its forward end, a front power unit comprising a power plant and the front vehicle wheels, and having at its rear end a transverse member forming part of first transverse- 50 the power unit, and located' forwardly of said member and direct connections including vibration-absorbing cushion means between said two transverse members, portions of such cushioned connections being disposed at points spaced relatively far apart horizontally. to aiford transverse stability.

l5. A motor vehicle comprising a rear body unit having a transversefmember at its forward end, a front power unit comprising a motor and the fr'ont vehicle wheels, and having at itsrear end a transverse member located forwardly o f said iilrsttxansverse member forming part of the motor support. and a plurality .of spaced. cushtioned connecting means directly between said two transverse members.

16. A motor vehicle having a transverse member in the form of a substantially vertical board. a power plant in front of said board. and rigid arms carried by and secured to said board at vertically spaced points on opposite sides of the vehicle, said arms projecting forwardly from said board and having at their end means resiliently connected with said power plant.

17. A motor vehicle having a transverse member, and a power plant including a motor and a supporting frame, said frame comprising a transverse portion substantially parallel with said said power unit comprising a pair of driving v wheels and a power plant connected therewith, a transverse boardmember adjacent the junction of said units, means for pivotally connecting the rear end of said power plant with said board. and means for resiiiently supporting said powerplant from said board at a point spaced well forward 19. In a motor vehicle, a body unit, and a sep- .of said board.

arable power unit attached to said body unit,

said power unit comprising a pair of driving wheels anda power plant connected therewith. a rigid transverse member adjacent the junction f of said umts, means for movably and resiliently supporting the rear end of said power plant on said member, and means rigidly carried wholly by said member and resiliently connected with said power plant at a point adjacent the vertical plane of the centers of said wheels.

20. -In a motor vehicle, a body unit, and a separable power unit attached to said body unit.

said power unit comprising Vs'. pair of driving wheels and a power plant connected therewith. a transverse board member adjacent the junction of said units, means for pivotally supporting the rear end of said power plant on said member, a rigid frame carried wholly by said member and projecting forwardly therefrom, and a resilient connection between the forward end `of said frame and said power plant.

21. In a motor vehicle having a body and a power plant at the front end thereof, a transverse substantially vertical board member secured to said body, means for movably supporting the rear end of said power plant on said member, a rigid arm structure connected to said board member at widely separated vertically spaced points and projecting forwardly therefrom, and means for supporting said power plant at the forward end of said arm structure.

22. In a motor vehicle having a body and-a power plant at the front end thereof, a transverse substantially verticalboard member secured to said body, means for movably supporting the rear end of said power plant on said member, a rigid triangulated framed structure comprising a plurality of forwardlyrconverging bars supported wholly by and projecting from said board member, and means at the apex-end of said structure y engaging said power plant.

23. A-vehicle having a dash, a transverse member carried by said dash and having non-metallic means through ,which it engages said dash at a' plurality of spaced points, and

comprising spaced forwardly-projecting memadjacent the oppomember and attached thereto at va plurality oi points. and a pair of spaced portions carried by and projecting forwardly irom said transverse portion adjacent the opposite sides of the ve hicle.

26. A motor vehicle having a substantially vertical. continuous. transverse plate-like frame adjacent one end thereof extending from the bottom of the vehicle body a substantial distance above the same, a motor supported beyond said frame, means for supportingA the motor at least in partv comprising cantilever structures of generally triangular form in both elevation and plan extending longitudinally oi the vehicle on oppcsite sides of the motor and secured to said frame at least at points adjacent the thereof. l Y y 2'?. A'motor vehicle having a transverse frame adjacent one end thereof, a motor supported beyond said frame, the support iorsald motor ln part at least comprising cantiieverstructures of generally pyramidal form extending longitudinally ot the vehicle and lying on opposite sides of the motor, said pyramidal structures being se curedby theirbasestosaidrrame. l 28. A motor vehicle having a transverse frame adjacent one end thereof, a motor supported bethe support for said motor in comprising cantilever structures o! generally pyramidai iorm extending longitudinallyvoi'the vehicle and lying on opposite sides o i the motor, said pyramidal structures being secured by their bases to said frame, and`suchbases having at least one point in common.

29. An automobile chassis comprisinga rear armsstablymmintedontheironto'ithedashandV at spaced points on said dash, and said .50 armssupportingtheweightotthevehicle atits end a transverse'me top and bottom front end through spring means connected Vto said wheels. Y

32. A vehicle having a vertical dash and forwardly projecting arms mounted on the front of the dash and spaced apart thereon, said arms supporting the weight ci the vehicle at itsiront end, and a power plant arranged between said arms and supported at one end by the dash, and means supporting the other end of said power plant.

33. A motor vehicleuhaving near its forward ber, a power plant in front 'of said member,'and rigid arms secured directly to and carried by said transverse member on opposite sides of the vehicle, said arms projecting and converging forwardly from said member, and having at their ends means -connected with said power plant. u

34. In avmotor vehicle having abody, and a power plant at one end thereof, a transverse, substantially vertical boardg'flmember secured to said body, means for movably supporting one end of said power plant on 'said'memben a rigid arm structure connected to said board member at widely separated, vertically spaced points and projecting therefrom longitudinally ci the vehicle, and means for supporting said power plant at `the tree end oi said arm structure.

35. In amotor vehicle having a body, and a power plant at one end thereof, a transverse, substantially vertical board member secured to said body, means for supporting one end o! said power plant on said member, a pair of rigid arm structures carried by said board member and projecting therefrom longitudinallyot the vehicle adjacent the opposite` slides thereof, each of said arm structures beingjconnected'to said board member at widely separated, vertically. spaced points, and means at the free ends of saidfarin strucmres for supporting said power' plant, I

36. A vehicle having a transverse, substantially vertical board, a transverse member vcarried by said board and having means by which it is atn tached theretol at a plurality of points, and a motor support comprising spaced members carried by and projecting trom said member longitudinally of the vehicle adjacent the opposite Y sides thereof.

LENA P, 

